HOLLAND, MI - Making the jump from a secure job to opening his own retail T-shirt and sportswear store has proved to be a step up and then down for entrepreneur Marc Whitley.
In just one year, founder and owner of Michigan T-shirt Co., Whitley, has gone from operating a cubbyhole-sized, second story business to moving down to a fashionable street-level store in downtown Holland with huge display windows and lots of space at 206 College Ave.
“We had a great reception in that little store last summer even though people had to walk up a big flight of stairs to get to us,” said Whitley, who went into business in May 2012 at 35 ½ W. Eighth St. above the Model Drugs store.

“That enabled us to move when a spot came open downtown,” said Whitley, who opened the new downtown location on April 1

The previous store only had a street-side address and doorway sign to identify it. The new store - where Warner Vineyards was located before moving to Eighth Street - has 1,100-square-feet of display space, twice the size of the former location.

“I used an offer of free lemonade to entice people to come up to the store. It was such a nice draw that I’m going to keep doing it here,” said Whitley, 48, who quit a long-time retail job to design and sell his own T-shirts plus casual clothing.

The store offers shirts for men, women and kids plus offers beach and summer apparel and accessories for women from Peanut Punch and On White as well as the popular “Lake Michigan Unsalted” themed T-shirts.

He has also added the “Peace Frogs” line of clothing and a line of pajamas and boxer shorts to the new store.

The big draw though is Whitley’s Tee designs including “Love Lake Michigan.” Whitley formerly created the tees at a home operation but has now moved to an outside silk-screen business for productions.

The T-shirts sell for $15 to $18 with youth sizes for $12.

“People that come in love the prices here. I try to provide low prices and high quality so the whole family can buy a souvenir sweatshirt or tee from their visit to the West Coast of Michigan,” Whitley said.

The store hours for summer: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday to Saturday and from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday.